NARRATIVE OF A TRIP TO THE BAHAMAS. 



BY 
GLOVER M. ALLEN 

AND 
THOMAS BARBOUR. 



CAMBRIDGE, MASS. 

PRIVATELY PRINTED. 
DECEMBER, I9O4. 



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NARRATIVE OF A TRIP TO THE BAHAMAS. 

BY GLOVEK M. ALLEN AND THOMAS BARBOUR. 

This is the first of a series of short papers on the flora and fauna 
of the Bahamas, the results of a trip made by us during the early 
part of the summer of 1904, with Mr. Owen Bryant. We visited a 
number of the northern islands of the Bahama group to make such 
collections as were possible in the limited time before the hurricane 
season. 

These subtropical islands are easily accessible to naturalists from 
the continent, and although considerable work has been done among 
them, much yet remains for future exploration. Most visitors to the 
islands go in the winter season since the heat of summer is extremely 
oppressive. Yet we found it possible to be comfortable and at the 
same time to make valuable collections. The present account of 
our expedition is offered in the hope that it may be of use to other 
investigators who contemj^late similar work among the Bahamas. 
Further reports, based on studies of the material collected, are in 
preparation, and will apjDcar as occasion may offer. 

The party left New York on the S. S. "Orizaba," sailing June 
24th, for Nassau. About daybreak of June 28th we sighted New 
Providence Island, and a little later, on landing, found comfortable 
quarters at the Clifton House, the only hotel open during the sum- 
mer season. We spent the few following days until July 2d in 
collecting in the vicinity of the city of Nassau. A carriage and 
driver may be had for 70 cents an hour and it is thus an easy 
matter to make excursions in several directions from the city 
proper, back into the country of the interior of the island. The 
gardens and cultivated grounds in the city itself, however, are rich 
in insects of many kinds as well as other indigenous animals. 

On the advice of Mr. Ronald Young we chartered the sixty ton 
schooner " Wm. H. Albury " (Capt. Daniel Russell) and found her 
tolerably well adapted to our needs. She was fifty-nine feet over 
all and drew about six feet of water. She was roomy and most sea- 
worthy ; but had more of the space been cabin instead of hold we 
should have been suited better. We cannot too strongly advise 



2 ALLEN AND BARBOUR 

persons who contemplate a visit to the Bahamas in summer to make 
sure of an awning for the deck and an adequate supply of mosquito 
netting. Oils of citronella and pennyroyal mixed in equal parts 
will also be found very ^^seful in helping to keep off the gnats, 
stinging flies, and mosquitoes, which are excessively abundant in 
some localities. 

Our crew consisted of captain, mate, cook, and three ordinary sea- 
men, with several extra men picked up along our route as occasion 
required. It is wise to have on board rather more men than are 
likely to be needed as jihysically they are far from strong. This 
apphes especially to the white inhabitants of Abaco ; for a diet of 
fruit, salt meat, and rice has left them poor workers even when they 
are aroused from their tropical lethargy. It is possible that in many 
respects a negro crew would be more useful. 

A few words as regards food are not out of place in this connec- 
tion. Manufactured ice, which may be obtained at Nassau for a 
reasonable price, ^d per lb., can be kept a long time if packed in 
large chunks with a liberal quantity of barley shucks. Good rain 
water may be obtained at Nassau. One should be careful not to 
rely on the various " wells," really holes in the ground where the 
surface water collects, for the water from these has a most unpleas- 
ant taste and is teeming with animal life, much of it quite visible to 
the naked eye. We found lime juice a most pleasant addition to 
the water and always used it. Limes may be obtained at most of 
the settlements for 2d per hundred. Fresh meat cannot be kept 
even if it is obtainable. The native beef and mutton are vile and 
nothing else can be obtained in summer. On the other hand, the 
fish which abound about all the reefs and in the channels are very 
good indeed. We might mention especially the grouper, the various 
snappers and grunts, and turtle meat which can usually be had in 
Nassau. Some of the fishes are poisonous. The barracuda, parrot 
fishes, and the amber-jacks in some places are said to have a very 
bitter taste and to cause severe sickness. A good general rule is to 
avoid the bright, showy fishes, although exceptions may often be 
made. In Nassau canned goods may be obtained but in quahty 
they are far inferior to those which might be brought from the 
North. 

After provisioning our craft and getting our apparatus safely 
stowed, we set sail at 5 p. m., of July 2, for Hopetown, Elbow Cay, 

Gill 

Author 
•*• I IPerson) 



TRIP TO THE BAHAMAS 3 

98 miles north of New Providence. This passage was rather rough, 
oAving to a heavy sou'est wind and we were all glad to cross Little 
Harbor Bar and to enter the still water behind the outlying fringe 
of cays off Greiat Abaco. Hopetown is one of the few white settle- 
ments in the Bahamas and boasts about 1000 inhabitants. Here is 
the large lighthouse that warns mariners from the dreaded Elbow 
Reef, which in the old days was such a profitable collecting ground 
for the wreckers. 

For two days we did shore-collecting here but did not find it 
particularly productive. The rocks along the shore yielded a con- 
siderable number of shells and we found large colonies of the rock- 
boring barnacle, Lithotrya. A good deal of collecting we did in 
five or six feet of water, using a waterglass to examine the bottom. 
The abundance of sharks was somewhat of a draM'back. Although 
we were assured by the natives that these were very timid yet they 
sometimes came mthin 15 feet of us. Though we did not see any 
very large ones on the Abaco side of Elbow Cay, we did see sev- 
eral monster^ in the surf on the ocean side. After two days spent 
here we went to Marsh Harbor on the "mainland" of Great Abaco, 
and from this point we made several excursions among the intricate 
waterways of "The Marls." Here we saw one splendid band of 
fifty-four fiamingoes as well as a few scattered individuals. For- 
merly these birds nested here in great flocks but owing to the great 
destruction of the eggs and young birds by the people of Marsh 
Harbor, a mere remnant now remains. Their nesting site has not 
been discovered for two years and if it can be kept hidden for a few 
years more their number may increase. In the Bahamas the craving 
of the people for fresh meat can only be satisfied by using gulls, 
terns, cormorants, and fiamingoes for food. A crying need of the 
islands is a good set of game laws for none whatever exist to-day. 
We were forced on several occasions to try these various birds as 
food and cannot recommend persons to rely on them. The wild 
pigeon which occurs in thousands on some of the cays is, however, 
delicious. 

About noon of July 8th we set out for Great Guana Cay, where 
we spent several days in shore-collecting and dredging in Guana 
Cay channel. Of our dredging apparatus we purpose to speak later. 
We made good use here of the snapnet in collecting small reef 
fishes, baiting and setting it in from 10-30 feet of water and 



4 ALLEN AND BARBOUR 

watching it with a waterglass, until, when a number of specimens 
were busy about the bait, it was closed with a jerk of the line and 
hauled to the surface. 

At the kind invitation of Mr. Arthur H. Nield, of the Sisal Fiber 
Company, we spent two most pleasant days at the extensive planta- 
tion on Little Abaco. Here we had an opportunity to observe the 
preparation of the fiber and to collect a number of land animals and 
plants in the vicinity of the village of Cooling Temper. Not far 
away, near the village of Tar Bottom is a large, almost circular lake, 
of great depth whose water, fresh at the surface, is salty at a slight 
distance down. There is supposed to be some subterranean connec- 
tion with the sea ; for it is not unusual to find large sea fish and 
sometimes turtles in the lake. 

Leaving Little Abaco on July 11th, after making a short stop near 
Cedar Harbor to examine a series of caves, we stood of£ for the Pen- 
sacola Cays. Here we spent several days in dredging and shore-col- 
lecting. We made Moraine Cay our headquarters and from here we 
made several short excursions to neighboring islets. I'his island is 
a great roosting place for the pigeons and numbers also nest among 
the bushes. They feed during the day on the nearby islands and 
return to Moraine Cay to spend the night. This bird is the com- 
mon West Indian white-crowned pigeon {fjolumba leucocephala) . 

Before 5 a. m. of the 14th we were off for Stranger Cay. The 
wind fell to an almost dead calm and before long a terrific tropical 
thunder squall was on us. The rain came down in bUnding sheets 
and the wind blew a gale. Just as the storm abated we made out 
two waterspouts some miles to seaward. The wind held favorable 
and as we ran along before it we passed Fish Cays where a great 
multitude of sea birds rose and circled about shrilly screaming. 
This is a favorite place for the spongers to " egg up " before a 
cruise; and it was evident that the birds had no love for intruders. 
About the middle of the afternoon we arrived at Stranger Cay, 
where owing to extensive shoals we had to lie off about half a 
mile from shore. Here there was a deserted house, the only 
sign of human habitation since leaving Little Abaco. On this 
island, moreover, the soil seemed to be better suited for cultiva- 
tion than the meager bit of sand on most of the other " Leeward 
Cays." The mosquitoes were very troublesome and as the island 
was not a particularly rich collecting field we were not sorry when 



TRIP TO THE BAHAMAS 5 

at noon of the 15th we turned south and made for Great Sale Cay. 
We might add that on the sand flats we had good sj^ort from our 
small boat spearing the large " sting-a-rees," giant skate-like crea- 
tures. The way in which they rushed the boat off, often rising 
from the water and flapping their great wing-like fins, added much 
to the excitement. When finally killed and hoisted aboard the 
schooner they were useful as shark bait. 

At Great Sale Cay we met several boats, the last of the sponging 
schooners, homeward bound. All the crews boarded us, asking what 
we were doing and where we were going. Perhaps it was their ad- 
vice that made our crew so shy of approaching the shore of Great 
Bahama ; for the following morning after our visitors had left, the 
captain and mate asked us to omit this stage of our trip. We in- 
sisted, however, and after some excitement incidental to the har- 
pooning of a large leopard shark ( Galeocerdo tigrinum) from our 
deck, set sail for an anchorage some distance off Riding Point, 
" Grand Bah'ma." The bottom all about here is very hard and the 
on-shore winds roll up heavy seas, so that we dared not run within 
several miles of the outlying flats. Only one of our crew had ever 
been here before; for this shore, aside from its other unpleasant 
features, is not a profitable sponging ground. From our anchorage it 
was a matter of several hours of alternately sailing and hauling our 
small boats over series of shoals and mud flats, before reaching shore. 
Even here a long stretch of excessively difficult walking lay between 
us and tree growth. The entire surface of the ground, except w^here 
it was covered with a layer of fine, sticky mud from an inch to sev- 
eral feet in depth, was curiously eroded, and everywhere sharp points 
of limestone rock and ridges keen and hard as knife blades rendered 
our progress slow and painful. Once among the trees, conditions 
were even more unfavorable for an extended survey of the land, 
since the ground was everywhere covered with a thick tangle per- 
haps six feet high of the thorniest of xerophytes. 

After leaving Great Bahama, where we had been able to spend 
but a couple of days, we retraced our course, stopping only at Marsh 
Harbor, Hopetowm, and Sweeting's Village. This return passage 
was rendered more diflicult by the increasing number of squalls, 
now of daily occurrence, and the intei-vening periods of calm 
weather. Moreover, our stores had become very low, as unfore- 
seen delays prevented our replenishing them at Hopetown, about 
the only place where food could be obtained. 



6 



ALLEN AND BAEBOUR 



..lk«»^ 



Near Sweeting's Village, on July 22d, we went ashore on "the 
main " in order to visit the eaves at Hurricane Hole, — one of which 
had been inhabited for many years by a large colony of bats {Phyl- 
lonycteris planifrons). At 1 p. m. of the same day we left for 
Nassau. The wind was shifty and sometimes almost dead ahead, 
and it was not until midnight that we passed the light at Hole-in- 
the-Wall. At about 3:15 p. m. of July '23d we again tied up to the 
quay at Nassau. 

In some of the cuts appended, are shown the main types of vege- 
tation among the 
Bahamas. The text 
figure illustrates the 
Qpen pine woods 
with tangled under- 
growth, characteris- 
tic of the large is- 
lands, as Great Ba- 
hama, Great Abaco, 
Little Abaco, and 
New Provide nee. 
The outskirts of 
these main islands 
are frequently bor- 
dered wdth low man- 
grove swamps, or 
more open stretches 
(pi. 2, fig. 1) where 
the broken surface 
of the limestone of- 
fers little foothold 
for any but strag- 
gling bushes. The 
wicket-like method 
in which the man- 
grove branches 
grow is well showTQ 
in figure 2 (pi. 2). 
Still another type 
of vegetation is seen among the cays. This is a tangle of j^almettos 




Pine woods and underarowth. Great Bahama. 



TEIP TO THE BAHAMAS 



of several species, bushes, and vines, and is known as " coppet" 
(pi. 3, fig. 3). On many of the islands cocoanut palms are mtro- 
duced and thrive well. Royal palms, date palms, pa\^q)aws, bread- 
fruit and almond trees are also commonly cultivated at Nassau as 
. well as other tropical varieties. Quantities of pineapples are grown, 
but the soil is so poor that it is soon exhausted. 

The land fauna is in a large measure made up of West Indian 
species, and in part also of continental species, while a few forms are 
wide ranging. Mr. F. M. ChajDman has reviewed the origin of the 
Bahaman avifauna in an important pajjer in the American Naturalist 
several years ago (vol. 25, 1891, p. 528—539). The indigenous mam- 
mals of the Bahamas are few. A racoon {Procyon maynardi) is 
found on New Providence Island and is distinct from the mainland 
variety. Several species of bats also occur. A species of Capromys 
is found on the Plana Cays, in the southern part of the group. We 
were informed by Mr. Robert Johnstone, of Nassau, that a manatee 
was captured at the Bimini Islands about a year or more since. The 
animal was killed by some negroes about tne time of one of Mr. 
Johnstone's visits as circuit magistrate. 

Through the kindness of Mr. Alexander Agassiz we were per- 
mitted to make use of a hand-winch and 350 fathoms of steel cable. 
By means of this apparatus and a twenty -inch Blake dredge or four 
foot tangle-bar we made a number of hauls along our route. 
Dredging from a sailing vessel is difficult work at any time but it is 
particularly so when the weather conditions are unfavorable. We 
set our -winch up on the starboard side of the schooner, rather far 
aft. The cable we ran forward and through a set of blocks made 
fast to a boom on the foremast. This extra boom was rigged under 
the regular foreboom. In this way we were enabled to dredge over 
the beam, a method which is far more convenient than dredging 
over the stern. To the end of this boom was attached one of the 
ship's runners, which served to hoist the load on deck, and a guy, 
which M^as carried forward and made fast to one of the cat-heads. 
This arrangement is shown in fig. 4 (pi. 3) which gives one an idea 
of how the whole apparatus appeared from the bow. With this 
apparatus we made a number of successful hauls in from three to 
twenty fathoms. But in deeper water, say fifty fathoms, the work 
becomes very difficult as well as precarious. The lack of a sj^ring 
accumulator and the character of the bottom were our main dif- 



« . ALLEN AND BARBOUR 

ficulties, and caused us the loss of several dredges. We were 
also unfortunate in having heavy squalls come up almost every time 
we ran out to sea to make the deeper hauls. 

Persons who contemplate dredging in the Bahamas should apply 
to the Colonial Secretary for a permit, preferably through their 
Consul, as dredging is forbidden by law omng to the damage to 
the sponge industry. 

Several interesting species of fishes were taken while dredging 
off the island of Abaco, among which may be mentioned the rare 
eel, Sphagehranchus anguiformis. Young Monocanthi were taken 
in every haul on grassy bottom; and in rather coarse white sand 
we obtained Asymmetron lucaymiuin. 

We may fittingly close this brief sketch with a few remarks on 
the general conditions of several of the more important islands 
which we visited. The "out islands" are strangely httle known 
even to the people of Nassau, to say nothing of the average Ameri- 
can. Much of our information has been obtained from the Annual 
Report for 1902, by Sir G. T. Carter lately of the Bahamas and now 
Governor of Barbadoe. This is illustrated and is far more inter- 
esting than the average blue-book ; in fact every person who con- 
templates a visit to the Bahamas should certainly send for a copy 
and read it carefully. We will take up the several islands here in 
the order in which we visited them and remark shortly upon each. 

New Providence, the most important island in the group, contains 
the capital, Nassau. The island is about twenty miles long and nine 
miles broad. The population of the whole island (1901) is about 
12,500 persons. The city is now frequently visited in the winter 
season and the island is therefore well known to Americans. 

Abaco and the Northern Cays : The main islands are Great and 
Little Abaco ; according to Gov. Sir G. T. Carter they have an area 
of 776 square miles. They extend for 94 miles and yet the popula- 
tion is only 3300 people, and is decreasing. The principal settle- 
ments are Cherokee Sound, Hopetown on Elbow Cay, and Green 
Turtle Cay. The first of these settlements is a mere fishing village; 
the second is a port of entry and an important sponging center. 
Green Turtle Cay, once a flourishing town, is now fast declining ; 
the people are said to be moving to Key West, Fla. The poverty 
outside of Hopetown is extreme ; indeed the revenue of Cherokee 
Sound in 1901 is stated to have been £4 7s. There is some valu- 



TRIP TO THE BAHAMAS ^ 



able timber on Abaco and a concession has been gran ed to exploit 
t fo ests. A large amount of sisal is grown on Little Abaco and 
alesser amount about Hopetown. Off the Abaco coast to the 
nllni la reefs (lat. 27° 23' N., long. 78° 50' W.) extends an 
fntok n fringe of cays and reefs, once the abode of the unscrupu- 
Tot ™ckersf who now have little to do as their favonte trade has 
been destroyed by the lighthouse at Elbow Cay. _ 

Great Bahama: This island contains 430 square miles, is 66 miles 
long and from 5 to 12 miles wide. The population is stated to be 
1780 people The inhabitants are mainly engaged m spongmg and 
fishing. The character of the land seems particularly unht for agri- 
culture or cattle raising. ^^ +i,a 
The people of these northern islands do not take kindly to the 
^ild vocations now open to them. Their ancestoi. have for genera- 
tions been very little better than pirates ; and as ^^^^ ^"^ ;^' 
they consider the lighthouses a curse mstead of a mark of piogies- 

give development. . -, ^ ^^ xi 4- r.f 

The writers returned to New York arrivmg about the first of 
August, but Mr. Bryant remained behind for a visit to Andros 
mL: He went to Mangrove Cay and there made some most 
interesting collections, particularly of reptiles and moUuscs 

Indros Island is the largest of all the Bahamas being really a more 
or less connected aggregate of many islands, the f^<^'^^^^^^^^ 
having an area of about 1600 square miles. As only part of this has 
been explored it still offers a fruitful field for biologica work Ihe 
entire population is only a little over 5000 persons. his island is 
"e only one with running fresh water but unfortunately the stream 
is uselJss to the settlers as it is situated in swampy and uninhabit- 
able land. There is valuable timber on Andros as well as on some 
of the other islands, but as there are no roads nor good harbois 
it cannot be worked successfully. The colony is so_ poor that no 
improvements can be made and consequently there is little ox no 
encouragement for settlers to emigrate thither. 

The pleasure of our stay in Nassau was largely due to the very 
kind attention sho.n. us by the American Consul, Mr. ^-^--/<^^2 
and by Mr. Young, chairman of the Sponge Fisheries Board ; both 
of these gentlemen assisted us in many ways. To the Admmistrator, 
Coloniaf Secretary, and Executive Council of ^^^ ^^^J--^^^2 
thanks are due for permission to import and use our dredge withm 



10 ALLEN AND BARBOUR, TRIP TO BAHAMAS 

the jurisdiction of the colony. Finally, we have the pleasure of 
acknowledging our deep obligation to Robert Johnstone, Esq., the 
Colonial Magistrate, for his many kindnesses and for his generous 
hospitality. 



Tkip to the Bahamas. 



Plate 2. 




FIG. 1.— ERODED LIMESTONE ALONG SHORE. GREAT BAHAMA. 




FIG. 2 — OUTER EDGE OF MANGROVE SWAMP. GREAT BAHAMA. 



Tkip to the Bahamas. 



Plate 3. 




"I'a.v*' zV'''* 






FIG. 3.— CAY VEGETATION. GREAT GUANA CAY. 



* >'i**T 



■'"j£jii^A 




i i 



FIG. 4.— DREDGING OPERATIONS ABOARD THE ' ALBURY. 



i»»^--. ,r.-:." 



